1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to golf ball practice ranges and devices for the facilitation thereof, and more particularly to a motorized practice green movable to selected locations on the range for practice of approach shots and further to such an apparatus that further performs the duty of picking up stray golf balls.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Uehara, U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,215 describes a golf practicing range that has a guide way provided on a field and a putting green provided on the field. The green is movable intermittently along the guide way. At each tee there is provided a distance indicator which displays the distance from the tee to the green every time the green stops at a predetermined point on the guide way.
Mueller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,547 describes a movable golf green which is movable along a predetermined track and the golf green is rotatable to provide a multitude of golf green simulation layouts and changing pin positions to the user of the apparatus.
Foley, U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,677 describes a golf-driving range for driving golf balls from any of a series of tee-points grouped together to a single common golf-driving fairway having a plurality of spaced apart greens each with a flagged hole, with preferably one of the greens being surrounded by a man-made pond of water, with also the plurality of greens being separated from the driving tee-points by a stream of water, and with sand traps and with assorted trees, shrubs and/or simulations thereof positioned preferably heterogeneously on the fairway, with at-least two sand traps positioned adjacent each of the spaced-apart greens, and a collection device including a centrifugal pump and a channeling device for separating and collecting golf ball that have fallen into the pond water, and detection and indicator mechanisms indicating onto which green a golf ball falls.
Williams. Sr, U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,161 describes an apparatus adapted for use as a green on a golf driving range wherein golf balls which land on the apparatus are prevented from remaining thereon. The apparatus includes a golf green surface having a perimeter in the shape of a golf green and an interiorly located cup opening The apparatus includes self-clearing means for preventing golf balls which land on the golf green surface so that golf balls inherently roll off of the green or by providing a mechanism which raises and lowers one end of the green surface in order to clear balls therefrom. The self-clearing green is well-suited for use on golf driving ranges where the clutter of golf balls on target greens reduces the value of the green as a realistic target for golfers using the range.
Meikle, U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,320 describes an artificial golf green designed for use at driving ranges. The target green structure is formed at an incline to provide users of the golf range the appearance of much larger target surface due to the perspective effects when viewing an inclined object from a distance. The construction of the target green is sectional to facilitate transportation. The landing surface includes artificial turf and energy absorbing pad for more realistic performance.
W.B. Crump, U.S. Pat. No. 3,520,727 describes forwardly divergent arms, held rigidly so as to form a throat at a conveyor frame, so as to swamp the balls on the ground toward an inclined table. A belt conveyor superimposed on the inclined table grips the balls and rolls them up the table so that the balls drop into a container, in which latter there are ball-carrying cages immersed in water. The golf balls are washed during the collecting operation by the forward motion and rocking of the container the unit is pulled by any suitable means such as by a motorized vehicle which is suitable tied to a cross bar connecting the divergent arms at their widest spaced end.
Heffley, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,023 describes a game apparatus comprising a target with a plurality of target zones each of which is operatively connected to an impact responsive signal generator, a signal selecting circuit and a scoreboard by which objects impacting upon the target produce signals above an adjustable level that will register on the scoreboard. In a specific embodiment, the target may take the form of a simulated golf green and is combined with an all-weather golf driving range including a driving booth in which the environment is controlled, a fairway designed such that snow removal and ball retrieval are enhanced, and a device for registering the longer drives.
The prior art teaches the use of a movable simulated golf green and also teaches the use of golf ball pickup vehicles. However, the prior art does not teach a motorized golf green, ball picker combination. The present invention teaches such an apparatus and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.